What Do Critics Say About Social Promotion and Retention?
Opponents of social promotion claim that the practice hides school failure and creates problems for everyone: • Children receive the message that effort and achievement do not count. • Parents are led to believe that their children are adequately prepared for college and the workplace. • Business has to invest millions of dollars each year teaching new employees basic skills they did not learn in school. • Colleges must spend millions on remedial courses to prepare high school graduates for college-level work. • Society must embrace a growing proportion of uneducated citizens who cannot assume productive adult roles. Opponents also challenge the “socially-based” arguments for social promotion. They say that the stigma of repeating a grade and the possible loss in self-esteem are not as damaging to students as the personal toll of graduating without necessary skills. They further contend that while retention may be painful in the short-term, over time students will work harder, be able
